Team India recently faced a stunning 3-0 whitewash in a Test series against New Zealand, led by Tom Latham. The series, held across Bengaluru, Pune, and Mumbai, saw India fall in all three matches—a rare occurrence for the team on home soil. This historic defeat marked India’s first home series loss in over a decade, breaking a streak of 18 consecutive series wins that began after their 2012 loss to England.
With little time to recover, India now shifts focus to the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25, a highly anticipated series against Australia starting November 22, with the first Test set in Perth. Former New Zealand cricketer Simon Doull weighed in on India’s current situation, asserting that Australia will likely use India’s recent loss as psychological leverage in the upcoming series.
“India has won the last two series in Australia, but coming off a three-nil whitewash, I’m sure the entire Australian team and fans will keep reminding them of it,” Simon Doull commented on JioCinema. He emphasized the challenge that lies ahead for Rohit Sharma and his team, saying, “It will take immense character to bounce back from this. These same players are heading to Australia, and it’s never easy to tour there.”
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Doull also analyzed the factors behind India’s struggles against New Zealand. He noted that India’s home dominance often stems from spinning pitches and batter-friendly conditions. However, in this series, New Zealand’s spinners, including Tom Hartley and Mitchell Santner, managed to exploit India’s own conditions to their advantage.
Simon Doull pointed out that India has traditionally excelled because of their superior spin attack but warned that if the opposition’s spinners can compete, it could spell trouble. “They’ve let opposition spinners in, and with all due respect, Hartley and Santner aren’t typically seen as high-caliber Test bowlers. India’s home success has largely depended on having two of the world’s best spinners in ideal batting conditions,” Doull concluded.
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As India prepares for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, they face not only the challenge of Australian pitches but also the mental pressure of a recent, humbling series loss.
